ordered them to just answer with yes to all the questions which were to be asked by
the Social Welfare team.
Lovemore Mandizodza and Isaac Ndira (not real names) of Takawira Ward in
Mazowe North were prevented from benefitting from food aid on the suspicion that
they were MDC-T supporters. Mandizodza approached the councillor Elisha
Mukahiya to complain about his discrimination and the councillor sent people to spy
on him to check if he belonged to any other political party. It was confirmed that
Mandizodza was not a member of the MDC-T. At the time of going to print it was
not clear whether the two were now accessing food aid.
On 20 March 2016, Thompson Mawara (48), a maguta soldier of Ward 10 Centenary
Growth Point was responsible for the distribution of beans and cooking oil from an
NGO for orphans whose parents had died from HIV/AIDS. The food was offloaded at
David Nelson Clinic in Centenary. Mawara announced that the food was going to be
distributed on 22 March 2016. On the distribution day, two people, Never Guta and
Alec Makandiwa (not real names), were asked to produce Zanu-PF membership
cards. But nobody else besides them had been asked for the cards. They were also
accused of not attending Zanu-PF meetings. They were told that the food was not
from any NGO but Zanu-PF. They were ordered to go back home and get their ZanuPF membership cards. The two men went aside and informed Hozo, a war veteran,
who advised them to approach Mawara and ask for forgiveness. Guta refused to ask
for forgiveness claiming that the accusations were false and they were told to wait
until the distribution was done. After the distribution Mawara was called by Hozo to
explain the matter. Mawara claimed the two were influencing people in Ward 10 not
to attend Zanu-PF meetings so they were fixing them for that. He promised to
discipline them at a later date.
On 28 March 2016, Ward 5 Guruve South, Social Welfare Department gave maize to
vulnerable groups. Elias Gangarahwe who is the Zanu-PF ward secretary had told
beneficiaries to pay US$2.50 for sacks and transport. So when Social Welfare
Department went to the area the people were told that everything was for free so he
was ordered to pay back the money.
Mashonaland East
On 9 March 2016, in Chikomba Central at Zvichemo Township, councillor Givemore
Chisvo of Zanu-PF was leading the distribution of maize from GMB at Sadza growth
point. People were discriminated against on party lines yet the maize was meant for
everyone. Clever Zungunde (not real name), a former MDC-T councillor candidate in
2013 was denied an allocation of maize aid because of his political affiliation.
In Goromonzi North, the Zanu-PF district chairperson, Daniel Khulani, allegedly took
two bags of fertilizer belonging to a mentally disturbed person, Elvis Sundai (not real
name). The fertilizer was distributed by the department of Social Welfare. The care
worker who signed for the fertilizer was afraid to ask the district chairperson the
whereabouts of the fertilizer or even to inform the Social Welfare Department.
Village head, Isaiah Ketero, was also afraid to ask Khulani since he is said to have
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